Adjustable bracket for outboard motor



May 29, 1956 D. D. ALDRICH ET AL ADJUSTABLE BRACKET FOR OUTBOARD MOTOR Filed May 1, 1953 w s l I W3 w T ELL N 8L mm? m n m A! n d Mam w AY i Mam m: M I" A w W. F W/ W. 5:; z": 7 ///4-Z///4//z fillll lFi I I Jnited States Patent ADJUSTABLE BRACKET FOR OUTBOARD MOTOR Donovan D. Aldrich, El Paso, Le Roy A. Kiebler, De Witt, and Dale W. Weller, Perry, Mich.

Application May 1, 1953, Serial No. 352,545

1 Claim. (Cl. 2484) This invention relates to adjustable brackets for outboard motors and more particularly to an adjustable bracket adapted to be clamped onto a boat transom and to support an outboard motor at selected positions of elevation relative to the transom.

It is among the objects of the invention to provide an outboard motor bracket which can be releasably clamped onto a boat transom and to which an outboard motor can be releasably clamped; which is disposed almost entirely at the outer side of the transom and is manually adjustable to support the associated motor at selected positions of elevations relative to the boat transom; which can be adjusted by a person within the associated boat while the motor is in operation and positively locked in selected positions of adjustment; and which is simple and durable in construction, economical to manufacture, easy to adjust, and positive and elfective in use.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from a consideration of the following description and the appended claim in conjunction with the accompanying drawing wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of an outboard motor bracket illustrative of the invention operatively mounted on a boat, fragmentarily illustrated in cross section, and supporting an outboard motor;

Figure 2 is, a top plan view of the bracket shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a front elevational view of the bracket illustrated in Figures 1 and 2;

. Figure 4 is a longitudinal cross sectional view on an enlarged scale on the line 44 of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a transverse cross sectional view on the line 55 of Figure 4;

Figure 6 is a fragmentary cross sectional view on the line 66 of Figure 4; and

Figure 7 is a sectional view taken on the line 77 of Figure 4.

With continued reference to the drawing, a boat, such as a rowboat, is generally indicated at 10, and has at its rear or stern end a transversely extending transom 11 of solid construction adapted to support an outboard motor. An outboard motor is generally indicated at 12 and has thereon a motor mounting screw clamp structure including a clamp bracket 13, the outer surface 14 of which constitutes a mounting pad adapted to fit against the outer side of an associated boat transom, internally screw threaded sleeve" or boss structures, one of which is illustrated in Figural and designated at 15, opposed to the pad surface '14, screw shafts, as indicated at 16, extending one through each of the sleeves 15, shaft turning handles, as indicated at 17, mounted one on each Of the screw shafts at the ends of the screw shafts remote from the pad surface 14, and abutment washers, as indicated at 18, mounted one on each of the screw shafts 16 at the ends of the screw shafts adjacent the pad surface 14 of the clamp bracket. The attachment is. such that a supporting object, such as the upper portion of a boat transom, can be firmly clamped between the pad surface 14 of the clamp bracket 13 and the abutment washers 18 on the inner ends of the corresponding screw shafts 16. There are two screw shafts and related structures spaced apart in a horizontal direction when the motor is in upright position, as illustrated, so that, when the motor is mounted on an associated boat transom, the transom is clamped at locatiOns spaced apart transversely thereof.

The adjustable motor bracket is generally indicated at 20, and comprises a first bracket part of solid construction including a plate 21 of rectangular cross sectional shape having grooves 22 and 23 extending longitudinally thereof, one along each side edge and opening to one face and the adjacent edge surface of the plate to provide splines 22 and 23' of reduced thickness extending one along each side edge of the plate.

Clamp bracket arms 24 and 25 of right angular shape are secured each at one end to the plate 21 at the side of this plate to which the grooves 22 and 23 open, and at the corners of the plate 21 at the opposite sides of one end thereof. The brackets 24 and 25 extend perpendicularly from the plate 21 in spaced apart and substantially parallel relationship to each other and have legs spaced from and substantially parallel to the adjacent surface of the plate and extending toward the end of the plate remote from the end thereof at which the brackets are attached.

The bracket arms 24 and 25 are provided near their ends remote from the plate 21 with internally screw threaded sleeve formations 24 and 25 and screw shafts 26 and 27 are threaded through these sleeve formations respectively, and have their longitudinal center lines disposed substantially perpendicular to the adjacent face surface of the plate 21. Shaft turning handles 28 and 29 are pivotally mounted on the ends of the screw shafts 26 and 27 respectively, remote from the plate 21 and abutment washers 30 and 31 are pivotally mounted on the ends of these screw shafts adjacent the plate 21 for clamping the boat transom 11 between the plate 21 and the abutment washers 30 and 31 near the upper edge of the transom, as illustrated in Figure 1. When the plate 21 is clamped to the boat transom in the manner indicated above, it is disposed at the outer side of the transom and extends downwardly from the top edge of the transom in contact with the outer surface of the transom, as is also illustrated in Figure l. l

A second bracket member 33 of channel shape is provided in the inner surface of the flanges 35 and 36 thereof with longitudinally extending grooves which slidably receive the splines 22' and 23 of the plate 21, and secure the bracket member 33 to the plate 21 for longitudinal sliding movement of the bracket member relative to the plate. The bracket member 33 has a web portion 34 spaced from the side of the plate 21 from which the arms 24 and 25 extend and substantially parallel to the outer surface of the plate 21. A clamp bar 41) extends transversely across the upper end of the bracket member 33 and is integral with or rigidly secured to this member and extends outwardly of the opposite sides of the member. The clamp bar 40 is of elongated, rectangular shape in plan, and is tapered in thickness from its outer or top edge to its inner or lower edge and is received in the clamp bracket of the motor 12 and clamps between the pad surface 14 of the bracket and the abutment washers 18 of the motor clamp, so that the motor is firmly sup- 33 near the lower end of this member and through apertures in the flanges 35 and 36 and bears against the'outer side of the plate 21 to assist in guiding the member 33 en the member 21. A rack bar 42 is disposed in the channel member 33 and extends longitudinally of this member parallel to and spaced from the longitudinal center line of the web 34, being secured to the web by suitable means, such as the screws 43, and the rack bar has rack teeth 47 on the side thereof adjacent the longitudinal center line of the web 34, which teeth terminate short of the lower end of the rack bar.

A brace bar 48 extends between and is detachably connected at its ends to the bracket arms 24 and 25 at a location spaced from the plate 21 and is provided with a bearing aperture 49 medially of the length thereof. The plate 21 is provided with an aperture in alignment with the aperture 49 in the brace bar and a flanged bearing bushing 50 is mounted in the plate aperture and removably secured therein by the screw threaded fasteners 50' extending through the flange of the bushing and threaded into the plate 21. A shaft 51 is journaled in the aperture 49 in the brace bar 48 and in the bushing 50 and extends outwardly of the brace bar 48 and also extends from the plate 21 into the bracket member 33. A pinion gear 52 having a diameter less than the diameter of the aperture in the plate 21 is mounted on the end of the shaft 51 disposed within the bracket member 33, and this gear meshes with the rack teeth 47 of the rack bar 42 to move the bracket member 33 longitudinally of the bracket member 21 when the shaft 51 is rotated, and thereby raise or lower the associated motor 12, when the bracket is operatively mounted on a boat transom, as illustrated in Figure 1. The gear 52 is movable through the aperture in the plate 21 when the bushing 50 is removed from this aperture and the bushing, when in place in the aperture, provides a thrust bearing for the gear as well as a radial bearing for the shaft 51.

A hand crank 53 is pivotally mounted on the end of the shaft 51 remote from the gear 52, this crank having an elongated opening near one end thereof receiving the adjacent end of the shaft, and a pin 55 extends diametrically through the shaft and through the crank at opposite sides of the shaft receiving opening in the crank. A collar 58 is mounted on the shaft 51 between the crank 53 and the brace bar 48, and is provided with an aperture 59 extending therethrough at a location spaced from the shaft 51. A locking bolt 60 extends slidably through this aperture 59 and extends at one end through an aperture in the hand crank 53. The brace bar 48 is provided with recesses 61 angularly spaced apart around and spaced from the shaft 51 and the locking bolt 60 is brought selectively into alignment with these recesses 61 at different rotational positions of the hand crank 53. A tension spring 63 is connected between the collar 58 and the end of the locking bolt 60 extending through the crank 53 and resiliently urges the locking bolt 60 into the recesses 61 in the brace bar 48, and a handknob 64 is mounted on the crank 55 at the free end of the crank.

With this arrangement, when it is desired to adjust the motor mounting bracket to raise or lower the associated motor, the handknob 64 on the free end of the hand crank 53 is grasped and pulled outwardly away from the associated boat transom. This pulls the locking bolt 60 out of the corresponding recess 61 in which the locking bolt is engaged and frees the shaft 51 for rotation. The shaft 51 is then rotated in the appropriate direction by the hand crank 53 to raise or lower the motor 12 to the desired elevation and the knob 64 is then pressed inwardly toward the transom and the crank 53 rotated slowly until the locking bolt 60 comes into alignment with one of the apertures 61 in the brace bar 48, whereupon the handknob is forced inwardly toward the transom until the locking bolt is firmly engaged in the corresponding aperture 61 and the shaft 51 locked against further rotation. The locking bolt is held in the corresponding aperture 61 against accidental disengagement by the tension spring 63. Engagement of the pinion gear 52 with the rack bar 42 below the rack teeth 47 prevents the bracket member 33 from being accidentally moved off of the upper end of the plate 21 when the motor is raised to its maximum height relative to the associated boat transom, the parts 21 and 33 being separable only by first removing the shaft 51 and the pinion 52. Hence, it will be apparent that the first bracket part 21 carries thereon the second bracket part 33 for movement in a rectilinear path transversely thereof, and the bracket part 33 is guided by guide means, rod 41, in its path of movement when the manually operable means is actuated by rotation of shaft 51.

The motor mounting bracket of the present invention requires no modification whatever of the associated motor or boat transom and is effective to support a motor at the proper elevation on a low transom and to raise and lower the motor, as may be necessary, to have the propeller on the lower end of the motor clear of obstructions in the water and remain free of weeds and grasses, yet have a sufficient operating depth in the water to provide maximum speed of the boat when the water is free of grass and obstructions.

The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The present embodiment is, therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claim rather than by the foregoing description, and all changes which come within the range and meaning of equivalency of the claim are, therefore, intended to be embraced therein.

What is claimed is:

An adjustable outboard motor supporting bracket adapted for attachment to the transom of a boat, said bracket comprising a first bracket part including an upstanding plate adapted to be disposed at the outer side of the transom, splines carried by said plate and extending laterally outwardly therefrom along opposite longitudinal side edges thereof, a clamp carried by said plate at the upper end thereof and adapted for releasable attachment to the transom, a second bracket part having a web and spaced upstanding flanges extending along opposite longitudinal edges of the web, said flanges having grooves extending longitudinally thereof in opposed relation and receiving said splines therein whereby said second bracket part is slidably mounted on said first bracket part for movement in a rectilinear path longitudinally thereof with said web in spaced parallel relation to the adjacent side of said plate, a gear toothed rack bar carried by and extending longitudinally of said web and disposed in the space between said web and said plate and between said flanges, manually operable means carried by said first bracket part including a shaft rotatable about an axis perpendicular to said rack bar, a gear carried on said shaft for rotation therewith disposed in the space between said web and said plate and meshed with teeth on said rack bar to move said second bracket part in its rectilinear path upon rotation of said shaft and a guide rod carried by said up standing flanges of said second bracket part and extended therebetween adjacent the lower end of said second bracket part to bear against the adjacent side of said plate to define a guide means for said second bracket part as it is moved in its rectilinear path.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 66,600 Lewis July 9, 1867 1,71Q,686 Henricks Apr. 30, 1929 1,894,710 Samuelson Ian. 17, 1933 2,631,792 Poulin Mar. 17, 1953 2,638,863 Kiebler et al May 19, 1953 2,668,679 Harneit Feb. 9, 1954 2,674,425 Wylie Apr. 6, 1954 

